Today’s recipe is a clementine and fennel salad dressed in a bright, citrus and dill vinaigrette. It’s a light, sweet side dish that balances the zesty notes of clementine with dill’s fresh, aromatic flavour. Crisp, anise-scented fennel transforms this into a slaw-like salad that works beautifully alongside fish, dark rye bread, gravadlax-style cured salmon, or as part of a summer lunch or picnic. The recipe is vegetarian, vegan and dairy-free, making it suitable for many diets.
Milestones in Blogging
This is post number one hundred and ninety-six on le petit oeuf, which means the two-hundred mark is fast approaching — a meaningful milestone in my blogging journey. Those 196 posts add up to roughly 200,000 words and around 1,000 images. Alongside the blog, I write morning pages every day; this practice is approaching its first anniversary on the 9th of May. By then I will have written nearly 365,000 words early each morning — a mixture of the painful, the joyous, the stubborn and the sincerely curious — all before most people have had their coffee.
It Doesn’t Matter What You Think
I’ve been thinking about the idea that we are judged more by what we do than by our inner intentions. Good intentions are important, but it’s our actions — the choices we make and how we show up — that shape our lives and how others see us. Change is possible at any moment if you decide to act differently, and that is both liberating and daunting. I have many ideas and impulses, yet I don’t always act on them. When I do take action, the result is clearer: I’m perceived differently, and I feel different too.
That line of thinking has merged with something I read recently about the value of varying your daily patterns. The suggestion was that rather than searching for a mythical, fixed “true self,” it can be more useful to disrupt familiar routines and try new interactions. That disruption leads to growth. Taken together, these ideas point to a single practical conclusion: taking action, even small changes to routine, matters far more than endlessly rehearsed intentions.
How to Be a Better Food Writer and Photographer
My main aim is to write about food and make photographs of it. To improve I must strike a balance between routine and experimentation: maintain the practice of writing and shooting, but always try new approaches. Ideas alone rarely change anything; execution does. You’ll often hear brilliant ideas from people who never move beyond talking. Success in creative work depends on actually doing the work — trying a new shot, experimenting with light, changing props, or styling a plate in an unfamiliar way.
For my photography and writing, this means deliberately making each shoot or post slightly different. Use new angles, explore different textures, select unexpected props, and pay attention to the smallest styling details. Those are the actions that readers respond to, and they are also the small choices that change how I feel about my work. Over time, consistent action equals noticeable growth.
Summer Fennel Salad
Here is the fresh, simple salad I described: clementine and fennel with a dill-forward dressing. The combination of sweet citrus, crisp fennel and fragrant dill is light but satisfying. I imagine it served with dark rye and cured salmon for a meal that balances texture and flavour — and then there’s only one course of action: make it and enjoy it.
Clementine and Fennel Salad with a Zesty Dill Dressing
By Gavin Wren
Serves 4 as a side
Uses a knife, chopping board, bowl and a cup
Ingredients
1 bulb fennel, halved then thinly sliced
2 clementines, zested, peeled and each segment cut into three pieces
1 shallot, finely chopped
8 sprigs of dill, fronds removed and chopped
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Combine the sliced fennel and clementine segments in a bowl. Add the finely chopped shallot and the chopped dill fronds, then toss gently to distribute evenly.
In a small cup or jar, whisk together the white balsamic vinegar, rapeseed oil, Dijon mustard, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper until well combined. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss lightly to coat.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve immediately as a refreshing side salad, or chill briefly for a cooler option. Enjoy.
If you try this salad, consider small variations: a handful of toasted almonds for crunch, a scattering of chopped parsley alongside the dill, or a splash more citrus if you like it brighter. The core idea is simple: fresh fennel, sweet clementine and a dill-forward dressing — easy to make, easy to love.